This invention relates to the lubrication and cooling of automotive engine system components, particularly turbochargers.
Turbochargers are typically supplied with lubricating and cooling oil from the engine oil line. As a result, when the engine is shut off cooling oil is no longer supplied to the turbocharger, and residual heat in the mechanism can cause damage. Efforts have thus been made to supply oil to the turbocharger after shutdown, e.g., using an auxiliary pump system as in Rust U.S. Pat. No. 3,827,236.
Oil supply prior to engine start-up is also desirable in order to prevent damage from operation prior to effective receipt of oil from the engine line. Pre-lubrication devices are summarized, e.g., in Holcomb U.S. Pat. No. 3,583,525. In Holcomb, as well as in Raichel U.S. Pat. No 3,583,527, oil is accumulated under compressed air pressure in a reservoir during engine operation, and released upon start-up. Hakanson, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,917,027 shows a spring-biased piston; the piston moves against the spring during discharge.
Anders U.S. Pat. No. 2,990,915 uses spring-biased pistons in chambers to take over supply of oil to an injection pump when the normal supply fails.